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Narrowing her eyes, she reached out and snatched the container.

“I’m going to take this, but I’m not convinced that you’re not trying to convert me to your pie cult.”

I burst out laughing so loud that a few people around the diner stared.

“I’ve never thought of having my own cult, but if I did, a pie cult sounds pretty great.”

Hunter shared a smile with me as I held the door for her and then walked her to her car. I always wanted to make sure she had a working vehicle before I left. She could always call me and tell me to come rescue her, though. I wouldn’t mind at all. Rescuing Hunter would be a pleasure.

“Thanks for the pie, Stace,” she said as we stood next to her car.

“You’re welcome. Always.”

It was dark, but I swore there was a blush on her cheeks. Or maybe I only hoped there was.

“Drive safe, princess.”

“You too,” she whispered and then got in her car.

Home safe. Eating pie. She sent fifteen minutes later, along with a picture of the pie on a plate with a fork stuck in it. She’d zoomed in, but I could just barely see her legs and what looked like rumpled blankets in the background.

Pie in bed? You know that’s one of the first rules I’d make for the pie cult. Pie must be eaten in bed daily.

Now I was wishing that I’d gotten more pie for myself. I could have been eating it in bed with Hunter. Not with with her. But doing the same thing at the same time. There was an intimacy in that too.

That should be the second rule of Pie Cult. Because you know what the first rule is She responded.

Don’t talk about pie cult I sent immediately as I grabbed Buck’s leash to take him outside.

That’s right Hunter replied.

I snorted and tried not to get my hopes up too high, but this was a good sign. A very good sign.

Chapter Nine

Hunter

Stace and Torrin showed up for my Monday class. No Micah, which did worry me a little bit, but maybe he had something else going on.

I said hello to both of them as they set their mats out.

“What did your mother feed you?” I asked before I could stop myself.

Stace and Torrin both grinned at each other. I knew they weren’t genetically related, but there were still so many similarities that I kept finding more when I saw them.

“If you ask her, she’ll give you an earful about the grocery bill,” Stace said with a wink.

“Oh I bet,” I said as Torrin glanced around and I could tell he was searching for Micah.

“He didn’t sign up for class, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be here,” I told him, even though Micah always signed up ahead of time for class. Didn’t want to burst his bubble.

“I wasn’t—” Torrin said to me, and then the Viking blushed. How cute.

“What happened?” Stace asked him and I moved away, sensing that I was intruding on a sibling moment.

Micah didn’t show up, but Stace and Torrin committed themselves to the class and I didn’t have to give Stace as many adjustments this time around. I wondered if she had looked up yoga poses or maybe practiced since the last class.

They both lingered after the class.